When All Other Lights Go Out
by KairiKari
Summary: Haku and Terra are back in the story adaption of Naruto the Movie - Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow…When All Other Lights Go Out! Team Twelve accompanies Team Seven on a mission to the Land of Snow, but something is wrong with Terra. What will happen when the fire inside is snuffed out by the cold, unfeeling Land of Snow? How long can fire survive in the grip of ice?
1. Chapter 1

Well, here you go! Hope you all weren't ready to strangle me over the teaser trailer I left you on Saturday! :D I couldn't resist. This isn't going to be as long as Fire and Ice, not by a long shot, but it is fairly fast paced and moves quickly.

I don't own anyone but Terra…and my three cats, who think they own me.

Without Further Ado….*insert grand theatrical voice*

_**Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow**_

_**When All Other Lights Go Out**_

* * *

Chapter 1: We're Going Where?

* * *

Cold…it was so _cold_. Even he could tell that. He ran, faster, _faster!_ There wasn't enough time left. The further down he went, the colder it got. Leaping out, he manipulated the ice ahead of him to form a slide, which deposited him down a few more floors. He landed and charged down the walkway for a few paces, looking left and right as he searched for his friend. Something made him look to the left, just as he was passing one of the cells. Haku skidded to a halt before a barred door, the cell inside looking more like a freezer. The person inside was nearly blue with cold, and he felt his heart stop.

"TERRA!" Haku shouted.

{[/|\]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

Terra and Haku facepalmed simultaneously upon seeing Sakura and Sasuke tying up the 'attackers', Itachi just shook his head. Needless to say, this mission had not started off on the right foot. Terra grimaced, rolling his eyes and turning to Itachi as Kakashi appeared on a nearby pillar.

"We're going to go get some supplies. We'll meet you guys at the harbor." Itachi nodded.

"See you there. I'll get the details." Terra waved over his shoulder to show he'd heard as he and Haku walked off. Itachi shook his head again, smiling slightly. He and Terra, as well as Haku, had gotten to know each other fairly well over the past four weeks. It was a constant wonder how Terra could seem almost bi-polar on some days. Itachi also found it difficult to believe that Terra hadn't been able to eat until their return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves after their stint in the slavers' catacombs. The pyromancer could out-eat Naruto on a normal day, which was saying something. However, his metabolism was so fast, Terra could eat twice as much as Chōji and have nothing to show for it.

Itachi moved forward as Kakashi began explaining that Sasuke and Sakura had been tying up their client. He rested a hand on Sasuke's head and smiled ever so slightly when his brother looked at him.

"Don't jump to conclusions." He said softly. Sasuke nodded, then went about helping Kakashi get their client on the way. Itachi hid the smile that tugged at his mouth as he watched his younger brother. Another thing that had changed was his relationship with Sasuke. Thankfully, it was for the better. Though he was still slightly angry, mostly because Itachi hadn't explained the situation from the start, Sasuke was very slowly climbing out of the cold shell he'd formed around himself in the past six years. Itachi could hardly believe the effect Terra had on both Sasuke and himself. The fire-user was very charismatic when he wanted to be, and it was no surprise that it was him that had hit Sasuke over the head with the spork of common sense.

{[/|\]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

"Thanks." Terra said, taking his change. He lifted the cans of food off the counter and packed them carefully in his bag, which was already getting too full.

"Going camping?" the burly shopkeeper asked.

"Something like that." Terra replied absently, "Got hired for a job."

"Oh, a mercenary then! Good luck to you." Terra stood, looking at the man strangely.

"Okay, there's friendly, then there's just plain strange." He murmured.

"Terra!" the pyromancer turned to the door of the shop. Haku stood there, backpack over his shoulder and a bulging bag in each hand.

"Sorry, I'm done." Terra called, pulling his bag over his shoulder as he approached the door.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Hm?" Terra fell into step with Haku, "Oh, the shopkeeper. He said something strange."

"Really? Might just be a local thing. I didn't have any strange occurrences." Haku glanced at Terra, "So…how are you and Tenten doing?" Terra jumped, nearly dropping the four bags he was carrying.

"W-w-what are y-you…what do you mean?" the fire-user's voice rose an octave.

"Have you asked her on an actual date yet?" Haku pushed.

"N-no! Why would I do that?" Terra stammered. The ice-user sighed and shook his head in mock exasperation.

"If you don't get a move on, her teammate will." The pyromancer stiffened, "You know, the Hyūga."

"Oh," Terra sighed, "that one. I think…his interests lie elsewhere…if you catch my drift."

"What? Really!" Haku's eyes widened as they continued down the street, "You're kidding."

"I don't think so." Terra replied, "In any case, they act more like they're brothers and sister, rather than possible love interests."

Back in the shop Terra had just left, the shopkeeper leaned against the back wall, letting out a sigh of relief. After a moment, he was engulfed in a cloud of smoke, revealing a silver haired teen with black eyes and bright teal lipstick. He ran a hand through his cropped hair, before palming himself in the forehead.

"'Good luck to you'? What the hell was I thinking?" The teen glanced out the door, where Terra had exited, then moved towards the back of the shop, "I better report this." He slid out of the back, and leapt up onto the lowest nearby roof, then disappeared in a blur of motion.

{[/|\]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

Itachi glanced around as Kakashi explained the base mission to Sasuke and Sakura. They were gathered in the warehouse that the production company was based out of.

"The next Princess Gale movie is the first one we'll be shooting abroad." The Director's assistant imputed, "And, uh, I don't need to tell you that our leading lady is a bit of a diva." He shot a glance at said actress' manager.

"Sorry." He murmured with a slight bow, "I do apologize."

"I'll tell ya. These Leaf ninja are impressive though." Itachi glanced at his brother and Sakura as the director spoke up, "They took care of those stunt men turned body guards we hired like it was child's play. And those are some _big_ fellas."

"Oh, well, ah, thank you." Kakashi replied. Itachi crossed his arms and leaned back so his head rested against the pseudo-wall. He wasn't quite sure why this mission required so many top quality ninja, Kakashi alone should have been enough. The Genin of Team Seven were skilled and experienced enough to keep both themselves and any clients out of danger. There shouldn't be any need for ninja as qualified as Team Twelve to assist them, even if they were all certified as only Chunin. The dark haired eighteen year old cut his eyes to Kakashi, who was paying attention to the muttering done by the Director and his assistant. Shinobi who had as much experience as Kakashi and himself would sometimes get feelings on the mission ahead. If Kakashi had a bad feeling about this mission, it was understandable that Tsunade would have heeded the warning and supplied extra forces. It just so happened that the only other available squad was Team Twelve, apparently at least. Itachi glanced to the side as two men approached, easily recognizing the actors, despite them lacking their costumes and make-up.

"Oh wow, look at those cliffs." Sakura breathed.

"That's the rainbow glacier. In the Land of Snow" The slighter of the two men replied.

"Hey! You played the part of Buriken!" the pink haired girl exclaimed.

"That's where we're going to shoot the scenes for the film's big, climatic ending." The other man continued.

"You're Hidero! You played Shishimaru!" the konoichi was getting shriller. Itachi spared a glance towards Sasuke, who looked like he was doing his best to tune out the shrill pitches with limited success.

"Land of Snow? Long way to go to shoot some scene for a movie." The younger Uchiha deadpanned, trying to reign in Sakura's fan-girl tendencies.

"Yukie Fujikaze's manager, Sandayu over here, recommended it." The assistant Director replied, "Apparently, he tells us, this rainbow glacier turns seven different colors during the springtime."

"No. That's just an old legend." Kakashi interjected, "The truth is there isn't any spring in the Land of Snow."

"What, not ever?" Sasuke asked.

"Does mean it's winter all year long?" Sakura queried.

"Mm hm, you got it." Kakashi replied. Itachi glanced at Kakashi, remembering the specific mission that took the older man to the Land of Snow several years ago. It hadn't ended too well…at least by ANBU standards.

{[\|/]} {[\|/]} {[\|/]}

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he approached the harbor with Sandayu, the unconscious Yukie, and Team Seven in tow. Team Twelve stood beside a pile of bags, and from what he could see, most had been filled with food stuffs.

"Itachi?" Sasuke asked. Said teen waved slightly. Terra and Haku were taking in the additions to the group.

"So, we're going to be watching over the leading actress of the Princess Gale movies? Yukie Fujikaze?" Terra asked. Kakashi nodded, and the teen could tell he was smiling beneath his mask. Looking back, Terra nodded at Haku and Itachi. Both of the dark haired ninjas behind him nodded back.

"Sounds easy enough." Terra murmured. He bent to grab about half of the obviously heavy bags, lifting them easily as he moved towards the gangplank. Itachi and Haku split the remaining bags between them.

"Itachi," The Uchiha paused and looked over his shoulder at Sasuke, "how did your team get assigned to this mission?" Itachi's eyes slid to Haku, who shrugged.

"We were asked to come as backup. Lady Tsunade seemed to think it was the right course of action." The older Uchiha finally said. Sasuke nodded and followed his brother and Haku onto the ship. Sakura, Naruto, and the others followed soon after.

{[\|/]} {[\|/]} {[\|/]}

After the initial reaction, screaming at the top of her lungs, Yukie descended into pouting. Terra, Haku, and Itachi stood apart from the rest of the group, observing and keeping their guards up. Kakashi and his team were more relaxed, but the three older teens knew the hazards of the shinobi world and what could happen if one wasn't prepared. Kakashi was prepared, but he had mastered the 'I'm bored' look for even when he wasn't actually. Terra sighed and shook his head.

"I'm gonna go up to the crow's nest. Will you guys be fine down here?" The question was more than a little out of place, but the pyromancer felt the need to ask anyways. It was polite.

"Go ahead." Haku waved his friend off, and once the older teen had leapt up the mast, he muttered, "Adrenaline junkie."

"Why do you say that?" Itachi asked. Haku glanced upwards, then gestured towards Terra. The older teen had applied chakra to his feet and was now adhering to the thin projection of the mast that extended above the crow's nest. Needless to say, it was quite the precarious position. Every change in the wind made Terra sway hazardously on his perch.

"That for one." the ice-user said. Itachi, upon looking up, dropped his forehead into his hand and shook his head.

"Why did I not expect that?" Itachi asked himself. Haku chuckled.

"I keep forgetting that you've only known him for, what, going on a month and a half now?"

"Three months if you count our time in the catacombs." Itachi replied quietly. The ice-user winced, and looked away.

"Very true." He smiled slightly, "In any case, I'm sure Terra's still got a few surprises for you. He still surprises me sometimes." Itachi let his gaze drift back up to the perched teen high above them. Absently, he wondered if the extreme cold of the Land of Snow would effect Terra.

{[\|/]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

A pale figure slammed into the wall, grunting slightly as the air was expelled from his lungs forcefully by the impact. Three other figures kneeled at the front of the room, none looking up from their kneeled positions. The wall-bound figure struggled into a sitting position, bowing forward and touching their forehead to the ground between their palms.

"I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru." Orochimaru shifted in his chair, biting back a grimace as his arms roared in defiant pain.

"I'm disappointed, Sakon. You nearly gave yourself away." the snake Sannin hissed. The grey haired teen didn't rise from his prostrate position, but he did bite his lip and grimace, glaring at the floor. Orochimaru shifted again, turning to look at the flaring candle sitting against the nearby wall. The flame flickered, as if wary of the Sannin's gaze.

"Well, no matter." Yellow eyes narrowed, still gazing at the flame, "It won't be long now before my plan is set in motion. Then, there won't be any escaping his fate."

* * *

Ohh! Scary shadow people :D I hope you enjoyed and are excited for more. This is only the first chapter and there are already ominous things afoot with more to come!

Oh, and for those of you who don't know…the 'Crow's Nest' is the lookout basket thing that's usually the highest point on a ship, and usually situated near the top of the main mast. The crew member with the sharpest eyes and/or a telescope goes up there to watch for reefs, nearby ships, land, weather changes, other things.


	2. Chapter 2

So! Here's the second chapter…I don't know if I need to be happy or sad, because I've got two reviews, but it seems like most of you guys from the first story haven't found this one yet. *sigh* oh well, in any case, I hope you enjoy Terra and Haku's shenanigans, not to mention those of Team Seven, and get some answers, as well as some laughs.

Before anyone starts yelling "Haku's being OOC!" realize that I haven't got to the part of Shippuden where any more of him is revealed, and he only had all of, what? All of thirteen episodes in the "Land of Waves Arc" after he'd been introduced? The biggest speech he had was where he was explaining about his past. That's not a lot to go on for a character. So, I made him slightly sarcastic and a little bit playful, Terra rubbed off on him after they both began to develop their own personalities, at least in this story. All in all, he's in character for who he is in my story. So, :P ! :D

Anyways, I don't own Naruto…though I do own a bunch of books…half of which I'm not entirely sure where the hell they came from.

* * *

Chapter 2: You've Got to be Joking

* * *

Harsh pounding was the first order of business the next day. Terra groaned, rolling over and slamming his pillow down on his head. The pounding came again, then the door burst open.

"Terra!" Haku yelled, rushing to his teammate's side. Terra groaned and curled more into his cocoon of blankets, hiding from the blast of cold air from Haku's agitated state. The ice-user always lost a bit of control when he was really stressed. Sometimes it was a good thing, but other times it was simply annoying because, despite his repudiating on the matter, Haku was a worrier.

"Terra, get up or I'll make you." Terra cracked open one eye, blearily gazing at his best friend over his shoulder.

"You've got to be kidding, I'm not getting up this early." Haku folded his arms across his chest, half-glaring at Terra. The fire-user shrugged mentally and rolled over again. He had no warning as the mattress suddenly heaved and dumped him on the wooden planks that made up the floor. He leapt up, grabbing blindly for a blanket. The floor had conducted the cold from Haku's ice a bit _too_ well. Before Terra could fully get his wits about him, not to mention the blanket, Haku grabbed his arm and hauled his friend out the door. The pyromancer grumbled the whole way up the corridor, silencing only as they reached the stairs and he collided with the bottom one, eyes still closed. Blindly, the Uchiha made his way up the steep stairs and out onto the deck. For all of three seconds, Terra stared groggily at the sight before him. The hulking iceberg rising out of the water like a giant monolith looked almost too perfect to be real. Then, a stiff breeze blew across the deck.

"COLD!" Terra shouted, diving back towards the lower decks. Haku was left standing out on the deck, looking bemusedly after his friend. He turned to see the majority of the crew, along with Itachi and Team Seven staring at him like he'd grown another head. The cryomancer's eyes narrowed as his gaze alighted upon Kakashi, but he reigned in his annoyance and turned to return below deck. He needed to find a couple spare coats for Terra, otherwise it would be dangerous for the pyromancer to venture outside.

{[\|/]}

After about an hour, the film crew and make-up artists had finished their jobs and the Director was speaking with the cameramen to confirm that they knew their positions.

"If I ever have a daughter, I refuse to let her get like this." Haku muttered, watching the diva princess, otherwise known as Yukie, complain about the cold. Terra shuddered next to him, huddled next to a heater and wearing about eight layers of clothes. The team had taken a few minutes to discuss among themselves the situation, including the new complications that had arisen. Well, it had mostly been Haku explaining and Terra shivering.

"We have to protect her anyways, no use complaining." Itachi said quietly, though also looking like the actress was beginning to grate on his nerves. The two Uchiha had donned the coats they'd brought, though Terra had grabbed spare coats from just about everyone who had one. Itachi had exchanged the dark grey short-sleeved shirt he'd taken to wearing for a long-sleeved one with a similar high collar. He'd also exchanged his typical black pants for heavier, water-resistant ones of the same color, and his sandals for boots. The Uchiha wore his Chunin vest over his coat, which was specially designed to give the same range of movement as if it weren't there. Haku had actually shed his short-sleeved gi, only wearing his kimono shirt and Chunin vest as well as his pants and normal boots.

Terra shuddered, teeth chattering slightly and hands shaking as they were held out to the meager heat source. He listened intently around him as he did so, keeping a look out. They were incredibly exposed out here on the ice, and it wouldn't take much for someone to plan an ambush. Of course, as soon as this thought crossed his mind, an explosion high on the jutting ice drew everyone's attention. Kakashi dashed forward, getting in the shot and causing the assistant Director to start yelling.

"Everyone get back!" the silver haired Jonin called. Terra glanced between Haku and Itachi, who both nodded. Terra stood and leapt upward, landing only slightly heavily on the bow of the ship. Unfortunately, this put him too far away to hear the shinobi that rose from their camouflage under the snow. He watched with gritted teeth as the fight began, mentally counting down in his head for each person that got on the boat.

{[\|/]}

Haku leapt into the air, hands flying as he descended towards the pair of young women who were harassing Sasuke. The cryomancer landed just as Sasuke's second fireball died. The second woman with light green hair began forming signs, and Haku smirked, fingers flying faster than the other shinobi's.

"Hidden Jutsu: One Thousand Needles of Death!" he stomped the ground hard with his right foot, and a line of ice zigzagged over the snow towards the green haired woman. She barely had time to react, dodging to the side, only to be surprised when the ice followed her. She managed to dodge twice more, but the ice finally caught up with her. It swarmed up her calf, then exploded outward. The woman staggered back, grimacing from the force of the explosion, then screaming when the exploded pieces of ice slammed back into her, having realigned in the air after discharging. As the dust cleared, Haku was surprised to see the woman grinning at him, unscathed and with no blood on the ground around her. Haku glanced at Sasuke and nodded in the younger ninja's direction. Sasuke nodded back. Both began hand seals as their opponents began to charge.

"Wind Style!" Haku called.

"Fire Style!" Sasuke echoed, "Fireball Jutsu!"

"Great Breakthrough!" the ice-user finished. The wind enhanced flames roared forward, then impacted at the site of the Snow ninjas.

{[\|/]}

Itachi dropped down from a jutting piece of ice not far from where the only inactive member of the attacking ninja was standing, watching Naruto playing dodge with the larger of the five attackers. He flashed through a series of hand signs, then pointed forward towards the larger opponent.

"Water Style: Water Fang Bullet!" he hissed, then started on another set of hand signs. This next jutsu didn't really need hand signs he knew it so well, but Itachi needed to conserve as much chakra as possible, and the easiest way to do that was through the extra concentration afforded by going through the hand seals.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" the huge fireball roared after the drilling water, melting snow and ice alike on the way. His opponent was engulfed in the two jutsu.

{[\|/]}

Terra glared at the Director as he finally came on board. The camera crew were _still_ recording, at the Director's behest. Terra glanced at the ice field, nodding to himself as the only ones left were the fighting shinobi. Sandayu was rushing across the ice, cradling the unconscious Yukie as he ran for the boat. Terra stepped up onto the hull of the ship and began unbuttoning buttons. However, he paused to let out a loud, shrill, three note whistle. Out on the ice, the Konoha shinobi halted, then began dashing for the boat. Their opponents were confused and began following, but thankfully the two teams of guards made it to the boat far ahead of the Snow ninja. Terra shucked the last of his borrowed coats, only to almost immediately be engulfed in flames. He leapt high into the air, his decent putting him only a few yards in front of the charging enemy shinobi. If Terra had stayed a few seconds longer, he would have heard the Director's order to make sure the cameras got a full view of his 'flight'. Terra angled his body so he'd land in a three-point stance; one foot firmly planted, the other ready to absorb the abrupt impact and bend at the knee, and a fist planted in front of him. The pyromancer saw the Snow shinobi pausing, gazing up at him. The looks on their faces when they realized his point of collision was right in the midst of them was priceless, but by then it was too late. Terra hit the thick ice, and there was a nanosecond where nothing happened. Then, the impact was registered and the ice around him shattered in a spider web-like direction. Fire roared outwards, washing over the unaffected ice and causing the frozen water to superheat into dense mist. The pyromancer slipped away silently, returning to the boat. Terra climbed up onto the deck, letting the fire that had coated his skin and clothes sputter and die as he collapsed. Unlike before, the fire-user couldn't run on near unlimited chakra like he used to. Moves that didn't hardly affect him before, now left him weak and exhausted. If he _did_ use his ability to convert chakra into energy, it would leave him even more incapacitated than usual because, as he wasn't using it on a daily, _hourly_, basis as he used to, his body couldn't handle it. Being incapacitated on this trip had suddenly gone from being a nuisance to being deadly. It also opened windows of opportunity for the curse mark he'd been branded with during the Chunin exams to flare up. It had begun to take every occasion, every break in his concentration, to do so. Terra knew Sasuke was facing the same dilemma, but both were resisting it to the fullest of their abilities. Terra because he didn't need the power offered, nor the tether that would undoubtedly come with it, and Sasuke because his main focus had changed from revenge to protecting those he cared for, namely his brother, his cousin, and his teammates.

"Terra?" the pyromancer managed to crack open one eye at the questioning voice, seeing Sakura leaning hesitantly over him.

"'m fine." He managed to get out, "Exhausted." Terra slumped as he passed out. Haku shook his head, but began dropping the discarded coats over his friend. Itachi helped, but paused when Kakashi approached.

"We need to talk." The former heir said quietly before Kakashi could speak, "There is more going on then we realized." Kakashi nodded, then gestured to Terra.

"When he wakes up, we'll gather."

* * *

Sooooo…what the hell is up with Terra? Anyone got a guess? And who else was annoyed in the movie when the Director was like "Keep the camera rolling even if it kills you!" I just kept face palming.

Reviews and suggestions welcome, and I hope you enjoyed. And yes, I know Itachi's quite a bit OOC, but you've got to admit to different circumstances…literally…


	3. Author Note

I am sooooooooo sorry! I've been at my sister's house all week and her internet is out. I will be back home tonight and I'll see if I can update. The Internet was on the blink last night or I would have done it then. Again, sooo sorry!

-KairiKari


	4. Chapter 3

So…to make up for my week of internet deprivation, I'm posting two chapters at once. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, but there's only one more chapter after four. Fear not, I'm already working on the epilogue, though it may take a little while, it is on its way.

Again, I own nothing and please enjoy...

* * *

Chapter 3: What We Say and Do

* * *

Terra didn't wake up until after the ship had arrived at the docks. Haku had explained briefly that his teammate had been subconsciously using a thin layer of superheated chakra to keep himself warm, as even all of the coats he'd borrowed hadn't been enough. That had been draining him up until the point that Terra had actually engaged in combat. The reason for getting everyone out of there was so that they wouldn't be injured when Terra let go of his control. Washing the whole area with fire was easier and less chakra consuming, not to mention faster, than if he'd used a jutsu. However, it did take a good bit of energy to pull off. The cast and crew had been suitably stunned and impressed, especially those that hadn't seen a ninja in action before.

Terra groaned as he stumbled down the hallway, Haku leading the way and Itachi bringing up the rear. This was so someone could catch Terra if he passed out again. The pyromancer scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to gather enough energy and awareness so he didn't look like Kakashi, who almost always looked like he was about to fall asleep on the job, unless of course he was glaring. The trio came in just as Kakashi began to speak.

"You've known all along Sandayu, haven't you?" he asked, looking at the manager who was sitting before him. Sandayu seemed to wilt slightly.

"Yes."

"Didn't you ever consider the risks of what might happen if she came back to the Land of Snow?" Kakashi continued, still eyeing the other man wearily.

"You're right of course, but this was the only way I could think to get the princess to return home." Came the answer. Terra glanced at his teammates, both of which were looking as stunned as he felt…well, actually they didn't look stunned at all, both were quite good at hiding all their emotions. However, Terra was quite fluent in 'Uchiha', and was pretty sure Haku operated on a distant cousin dialect of the facial patterns his cousins and himself used. Naruto laughed, not seeming to have connected the dots yet.

"Come on Sandayu, you don't have to keep calling her that. I mean, she's only royalty on the big screen, right? It's not like she's really a princess." The blonde ninja questioned.

"Actually, she is." Kakashi injected, "Yukie Fujikaze is only an alias. We're guarding princess Koyuki Kazahana, the rightful heir to the Land of Snow's throne."

"I first met her a long time ago. I was her aid when she was still just a little girl. I don't blame her for not remembering, it was years ago." Sandayu explained.

"So, does that mean you're also from the Land of Snow, Sandayu?" Sakura asked.

"That's right. I served the princess' father, the former leader of the clan, Lord Sōsetsu Kazahana." Sandayu seemed to be lost in thought, gazing back into the past, "The Land of Snow was not a large nation, but served as a haven of peace. Lord Sōsetsu, he absolutely _adored_ the princess." Sandayu sighed, "Those were idyllic times. But ten years ago, on that cursed day, Lord Sōsetsu's younger brother, Dotō, hired a group of Snow ninja and instigated a revolt. It was a coup d'état. The magnificent Kazahana Castle burned to the ground, and I feared the princess had perished as well."

"There was no way we could defeat them." Kakashi murmured, "We had to keep running. We had to get away."

"The day that I discovered that our beloved princess was still alive…I was practically beside myself with joy!" Sandayu had begun to cry now, "She was alive after all those years!" Terra and his teammates glanced at the hallway as the sensed someone approaching, seeing the woman of the hour herself approaching.

"I should have died back then." Yukie, or rather Koyuki, deadpanned.

"You mustn't say such things, princess! We feared the worst! You can't imagine how frantic we all were. We never stopped praying for your life." Sandayu pleaded.

"I'm alive, but my heart is dead." Koyuki's face was as blank as the stone she was claiming her heart to be made of, "After that day, any tears I had left all dried up." Sandayu sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"And that's how I came to be the manager for Yukie Fujikaze. I have bided my time, waiting for the day when I could escort her back to the Land of Snow." He said, finishing his story.

"So, what are you saying? That all of this time you've just been using us?" the assistant manager exclaimed.

"I apologize for deceiving you, but it was for the sake of the Land of Snow's people!" Sandayu rose and half ran to kneel before Koyuki, "Princess Koyuki, confront Dotō, and assume your rightful place as the leader of our land!" the old aid turned manager bowed, not seeming to see the uncaring gaze of his beloved princess, "I will sacrifice my life without hesitation to protect you. Take up arms and lead your people!"

"I don't think so." Koyuki snapped, and Sandayu looked up with disbelief in his eyes, "You've gotta be kidding!"

"But…what about your _people_?" he implored.

"I could care less about them. Just forget it!" the estranged princess sneered.

"But princess…" Koyuki cut him off.

"Will you give it up already? Don't be dumb! It doesn't matter what you do, you will never get rid of Dotō, okay?"

"So you're trying to tell us that this spoiled brat is Koyuki Kazahana? The heir to the Land of Snow?" Haku stared open mouthed at the 'manager' of this so-called actress. Sandayu looked up, surprised at the tone that the ice-user was implementing. Haku wasn't bothering to hide his annoyance and anger at the callous way this woman, no, this _girl_ was throwing away other's lives. He could understand a fake identity, but…_still_. This wasn't a fake identity, this was more like a totally different person.

"Who are you calling a brat, kid?" Koyuki snapped. It was Haku's turn to deadpan.

"Well, it's certainly not the wall." He replied. Koyuki bristled, but it was at this point that Terra finally took his anger and put it out on the table.

"Why didn't anyone bother to tell _me_ we were going _there_?" Terra shouted, slamming a fist on the table, scattering pencils and paper. The argument stopped and everyone stared at the fire-user. He was breathing heavily, and flames were licking at his exposed face. Haku could see that Terra's eyes were trying to guard the blood-chilling fear that was raging through the older teen.

"Terra…" Sasuke murmured, the first word he'd said since this little meeting had started.

"Kakashi, you're supposed to be team leader! Why didn't you tell me?" Terra continued his tirade. Itachi blinked at the pyromancer's loud voice, then glanced at Kakashi, Haku was more than used to it, and felt the anger and volume were well justified.

"Does it really matter all that much?" Kakashi asked flatly. Haku and Terra glared at him.

"Yes." this came from Itachi, which made eyebrows among the Konoha shinobi rise. Itachi didn't waver from his steady gaze, which was leveled at Kakashi.

"We didn't tell Itachi, so he didn't have any way of knowing." Haku began, "You, however, heard the story of the first time we were in the Catacombs. You know how the cold affects Terra. Don't you think that being somewhere that's nothing _but_ cold would be very dangerous for him?"

"I can't keep up my warming technique, it'll drain me faster than if I were using jutsu." Terra let out a shaky breath, and Haku knew that his friend was doing his best to stay composed, "If I run out of heat, which has become quite the possibility, I'll be…incapacitated. An easy target for these so-called Snow ninja. And we all know how some people would kill for a shot at having my Kekkei Genkai, especially since it can obviously be transplanted into another with little or no side effects." Here he waved at Kakashi. The silver haired Jonin crossed his arms.

"That is a dilemma."

"No shit, really? I hadn't noticed." Terra snapped, turning and exiting the room. Haku and Itachi followed after a brief pause.

{[\|/]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

It was ultimately decided to continue with the mission. Terra was recalcitrant, refusing to come out of one of the trucks that was hauling most of the spare blankets, bedding, and coats. Itachi reported that his cousin had created a nest for himself with the spares and was using that to keep warm. Haku, who was more than a little miffed that Kakashi hadn't read between the lines during their explanation, was an invaluable resource because he could be out in the worst of the weather and suffer no ill effects. After traveling through the old train tunnel, it was revealed that Koyuki had once again flown the coop. The members of Team Seven went out searching, while the functioning members of Team Twelve set about securing the perimeter. Haku gave the first warning sign, noticing the thinning ice before it was even visible. Sandayu ran off shortly afterwards, so teams seven and twelve, minus Naruto, were left to prepare an ambush. Terra wasn't much help, as anything he could do would be immediately visible, so he kept the civilians out of the way and out of sight.

The train finally came into sight. Kakashi nodded at Itachi, who cut the rope holding back the logs they'd quickly cut and stacked. They tumbled down the snow embankment, slamming into the side of the train. Haku facepalmed when Sandayu and his platoon revealed themselves in true samurai fashion. It was just like samurai to reveal themselves for honorable battle, rather than the clandestine movements of shinobi. The ragged platoon charged down the hillside, and even Itachi facepalmed from the stupid move. Haku sprang into action when the sides of the train slid back to reveal dozens upon dozens of small silver cubes. Several waves of kunai fired from the side of the train, only to be blocked by a wall of ice. Terra landed in front of it, having leapt from above. Fire curled around his arms and legs and his skin looked as though there was a stoked fire beneath. He'd already shed the extra coats, as they weren't made of the fireproof material that his own was, and as such would have caught fire and burned away.

"You must be the idiot that wants to hurt the princess." He growled, spinning his flaming swords. Now that he was closer, Terra could see the facial expressions of the coup leader. Dotō had raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of the fire-user, and now the other one was creeping into his hairline because of the whispers of the snow ninja beside him.

"So…" Dotō finally said, "you must be Terra Uchiha." The pyromancer stiffened, but didn't react otherwise, "I've heard there's still quite the market waiting for you."

"Go fuck yourself, that's probably about the only way you'll get an heir for your stolen country!" Terra shouted. Dotō didn't seem to appreciate the advice, and made a short hand signal to the men operating the kunai cannons. A wave of kunai exploded outwards, but Terra simply amplified the fire surrounding him. The flames that had only been curled around his arms and legs up 'till then now burst outward, white hot and forming a near cocoon around the Uchiha. The kunai melted before they even got close. Terra let the flames die down in intensity somewhat, enough for his face to clearly be seen.

"Don't underestimate me, I don't know what you've heard or what you think you know, nor do I want to. I'm currently your worst nightmare, and that's all you need to know about me." A kunai with an explosive tag zipped by him and impacted on the side of the train, damaging one of the large side panels. Terra glanced behind him to see Sasuke ducking behind the wall of ice. High above them, a flash of pink was visible for just a second before an explosion triggered an avalanche. Dotō and the Snow ninja retreated into the train as it began to pull away, but it only got the engine and the first passenger car onto the bridge before an explosion caused it to collapse. The first car uncoupled from the rest of the train, and the two pulled away as the rest of the train fell down the gorge.

The platoon of samurai were looked over, making sure none had been injured in the abrupt stop afforded by Haku's ice wall. It took a few minutes to convince the rouges that Haku was _not_ on Dotō's side, but Itachi was quite convincing. Sandayu apologized to Kakashi for his rash actions. He was standing talking to the silver haired ninja when Koyuki approached.

"Princess-" Sandayu began, only for Koyuki to slap him. The old man spun and landed hard in the snow, looking up at Koyuki like she'd kicked his puppy in front of him.

"You're a fool!" the princess shouted, "Did you really think you could beat Dotō? There is no way for that plan to have succeeded!" she turned, moving towards the trucks, "Let's go home already."

"Go home to where?" Naruto growled. Koyuki paused, looking back at him.

"Naruto…" Sakura murmured, but was ignored.

"I thought this was your home, wasn't it?" the blonde glared at the dark haired woman, "What the heck do you need to go back to? Your place is here! Now face Dotō and put your house in order!"

"You know absolutely nothing." Koyuki hissed, turning and walking away. Sandayu wilted, starting when Terra clapped a gloved hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Don't take it too harshly." The teen murmured, "She yelled at you for almost getting yourself killed, right? That means, somewhere, she does care, even if she doesn't know it yet." Sandayu nodded and murmured thanks to the pyromancer.

Terra looked up at Naruto's gasp of surprise. His own eyes widened when he saw the airship, and he moved forward to stand beside Naruto. Too late, he saw the two Snow shinobi standing in the open doorway. Both fired the grappling hook-like hands that were attached to their left arms. One grabbed the back of Koyuki's coat, the other slammed into Terra's head. The blow wasn't particularly painful, by Terra's standards, but it did stagger him. As the claw-like object began to retract however, it grabbed Terra's left upper arm. The force of the retracting cable yanked Terra off his feet, and as he was dragged across the snow before being hoisted in the air, the fire-user thrashed and struggled.

"Terra!" Haku shouted, running forward only to skid to a stop when he saw the incoming kunai. Each of which had a small blue package tied to the end. Itachi suddenly was standing beside him and was flashing through hand seals.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" the former missing ninja called as he expelled dozens of small fireballs. They impacted with each of the kunai, which caused a fiery explosion that sent gouts of water and quickly melting snow into the sky. The dust and mist slowly cleared, but there was no sign of Dotō, Princess Koyuki, or Terra.

"Sakura, where's Naruto?" Sasuke called, adding another to the missing persons list.

"Oh you're kidding me, he didn't!" Sakura growled.

"Terra!" Haku called again.

"Over there!" Sasuke pointed to the airship as it flew off. A string of Naruto clones could be seen hanging from the back platform. As one, Sakura, Haku, and Kakashi facepalmed.


	5. Chapter 4

So…to make up for my week of internet deprivation, I'm posting two chapters at once. So, if you're reading this one and haven't read the third chapter yet, go back and do that. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far, but there's only one more chapter. Fear not, I'm already working on the epilogue, though it may take a little while, it is on its way.

Again, I own nothing and please enjoy...

* * *

Chapter 4: Fanning the Coals

* * *

Terra grunted as he was forced into a kneeling position. There were four guys on him, and he still was giving them issues. Dotō gazed down at him, and Terra let loose a feral grin.

"You won't be grinning soon." The blue haired Snow shinobi said as he slid from the shadows. Terra rolled his eyes.

"If three months of torture didn't make me quit grinning, how do you think you will?" the Uchiha sneered, mentally checking the position of Koyuki in his senses. This, of course, took his focus off the Snow ninja, if only slightly, which was a mistake. As such, Terra missed the wind-up for the kick that was aimed at his head. The fire-user was flung across the cabin and slammed into a wall. This also freed him from the four men that had previously been holding him down, admittedly with little success. Terra was already up and moving by the time the other shinobi realized that the kick had done nothing but give him more mobility. The fire-user grabbed Koyuki, who yelped, and leapt onto the upper level. In less than three seconds, Terra had pulled the recalcitrant princess onto his back and was dashing away from the cockpit. It didn't take long to completely loose sight of the pursuing shinobi, but Terra didn't stop. He raced down corridors and around corners, his senses wide open to hear or smell someone other than himself or the princess.

"Put me down!" Koyuki slammed her fist down on Terra's shoulder. Normally, this wouldn't have bothered him, but she'd missed his curse mark by just an inch or so. Because of the mark's flaring as of late, the skin and muscle around it had been very tender. Not to mention that was a tad too close to his neck for comfort. As such, the hit caused Terra to stumble, not expecting the pain, though it didn't reach far on his scale, not even registering an 'Ow'. What made him collapse was the pain that began to radiate from his curse mark as it struggled to reach past the seal that had been placed upon it. Koyuki hesitantly rose to her knees, staring at the writhing teen before her. Terra had clamped his teeth down on his forearm, muffling his cries of pain. The princess-turned-actress-turned princess again stared as blood began to well from the puncture wounds caused by Terra's elongated canines. Terra stilled after about another minute, finally managing to detach his arm from his mouth.

"Run." He croaked, and for once, Koyuki didn't question an order.

Terra blearily watched the princess run away, grimacing as the pain welled from the curse mark on his neck again. He fell back, not bothering to muffle his already soft groans. He'd heard the footsteps approaching.

"How the mighty have fallen." The blue haired ninja sneered. Terra managed to glare at him with his Sharingan red eyes, then slumped backwards, out cold.

{[\|/]}

Nadare Rōga had fought many shinobi in his lifetime, however, this teenager was certainly different. Not only was he an Uchiha, one of the few remaining of the once great clan, but he wasn't scared of anything. Or, if he was, he was very good at hiding it. He hadn't even flinched when Nadare had kicked him, which was saying something.

"I can't wait until we get rid of you." the blue haired shinobi murmured to the unconscious Uchiha, "I might even come visit you, just to see you squirm."

{[\|/]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

Kakashi looked over the frozen lake that surrounded Dotō's fortress. Behind him, Sandayu was speaking quietly with Itachi and Haku. Even as he told himself it wasn't going to turn out like his last mission to the Land of Snow, Kakashi felt a twinge of unease. Dotō had both Naruto and Terra, as well as the princess. Naruto could be passed off as something less than what Kakashi suspected he was, but Terra was more recognizable and had an obvious Kekkei Genkai. Kakashi turned his head slightly as Itachi, Haku, Sasuke, and Sakura approached.

"The fortress is well defended, but not fully." Itachi murmured, "Apparently Dotō doesn't think that after all this time he needs to protect all of his home."

"Sandayu says that if we can avoid the guards, we should be able to get close enough to make our own entrance." Sasuke continued, "From there we will be able to reach the princess, Naruto, and Terra."

"We might have to wait until nightfall. It's too bright out right now." Kakashi replied. That wasn't the right answer apparently.

"Kakashi, for someone who prides himself on looking underneath the underneath, you are missing a big clue." Haku suddenly snapped, "The dungeons of the castle are filled with ice. If we don't get Terra out of there, he'll freeze." he pointed at the far-off castle, "If he runs out of heat, Terra will die! His inner flame is all that keeps him alive! That's why he was against coming!" Kakashi's eyes widened, surprised by the information, "If he dies, I won't be able to hold back, nor will I want to. He's what balances me out. His heat to my cold." Haku hissed, and frost started spider-ing over his skin. Kakashi glanced at Itachi, who was looking at him with a level gaze that didn't give anything away. Kakashi sheepishly scratched the back of his head, embarrassed at missing the fairly obvious indications that Terra and Haku had left. A glance at Sasuke and Sakura revealed that they were even more shocked, having not realized how dangerous this mission had become for their comrade.

"You have one hour to prepare." Kakashi ordered, and the others scattered to prepare. The copycat ninja took one last look at the fortress before moving to prepare his own things.

'_Hang on Terra.'_ He thought.

{[\|/]} {[/|\]} {[/|\]}

Haku fell through the air, manipulating the ice to form a slide as he did. Above him, he could hear the muted explosions and sounds that accompanied the fortress' crumbling.

'_I won't let you go that easily.' _He thought, almost viciously as he threw several senbon at the Snow ninja that attempted to get in his way. Itachi rushed past, landing on a level below Haku. As he did, he blew out a fireball, which caused several of Dotō's soldiers to fall over the edges, flaming as they did.

'_You saved me…' _Haku thought as he gained his feet after the short slide. He looed around wildly, fending off attacks as he did. A few short hand signs with his free hand, then he stomped the ground. In the blink of an eye, he'd manipulated the ice into melting just enough to form a small puddle.

"Hidden Jutsu: Two Thousand Needles of Death!" the variant of his jutsu blasted outwards, and Haku substituted with one of the farther away guards.

'_Now it's my turn.'_ Haku leapt forward, grabbing the rail and flipping over just as the needles of ice from his jutsu impacted. He landed and charged down the walkway for a few paces, looking left and right as he searched for his friend. Something made him look to the left, just as he was passing one of the cells. Haku skidded to a halt before a barred door, the cell inside looking more like a freezer. The person inside was nearly blue with cold, and he felt his heart stop.

"TERRA!" Haku shouted. There was no response. Terra's blank eyes stared lifelessly ahead.

{[\|/]}

Haku stared at the limp figure behind the bars. It was so cold, mist was clogging the view of the floor. However, it was still quite obvious who was sprawled on the ground, limbs twisted at awkward angles and chains trailing from shackles around each wrist and ankle.

"T-Terra…" Haku's voice failed him, staring at his first friend, rescuer, training partner, teammate, and brother in all but blood. Terra's eyes remained still, the dark color lifeless. His hair had been raggedly cut, wrenched free of the tie that usually held it back in a ponytail, and his clothes had been died dark brown with dried blood. That there wasn't any blood on the floor showed that he was most likely dragged back after the guards or whoever had tried to torture him was finished.

Haku jumped when a hand fell on his shoulder, looking around and up, seeing Itachi. The cryomancer hadn't even noticed he'd collapsed to the ground as he'd stared at Terra.

"Why?" Haku said before Itachi could open his mouth. He realized that his face was stiff with frozen tears, his control over his powers fluctuating wildly and freezing them almost as soon as they cleared his eyes. Itachi shook his head, unable to answer, and blinked slowly as Haku turned back to the cell. The Uchiha closed his eyes as Haku lost it entirely and began to wail, sounding more like the child he'd been than the shinobi he'd become. Itachi clenched his fist, staring at the broken body of his teammate, cousin, and friend. The young man had a strange power similar to Naruto. He touched people, and they changed for the better because of him. Terra had changed both Sasuke and Itachi, had put them on a path that wouldn't ultimately end with one killing the other, and there was nothing he could do for the one who had made it possible.

"Terra…why?" Haku fell forward onto his hands and knees, eyes clenched tight as his tears began to freeze in earnest, freezing over his eyes and trapping them shut, "WHY?" the ice-user slammed his fists into the ground, and cracks spider webbed over the ice. The whole building began to creak ominously.

"We've got to go." Itachi said hurriedly as a piece of balcony came crashing down not far away. Haku ignored him, still locked in his own grief. The Uchiha reached forward, attempting to grab Haku's arm, only for ice spikes to erupt from the ground. Itachi barely moved out of the way in time, and still gained a stab wound through his hand. Wind was whirling around the hunched form on the ground, ice generating from thin air to form a spiraling cone around Haku, even as the building began to collapse in earnest.

"Haku!" Itachi yelled, attempting to snap the teen out of his trance, but to no avail. Itachi dodged to the side of a chunk of concrete, then took off towards the exit. Hopefully he could catch up to Naruto in time to get the boy to snap Haku out of it and get them all out of there in one piece.

{[\|/]}

Itachi had barely cleared the hallway leading to the prison block when it collapsed. The Uchiha was thrown forward by the concussive force of the folding walls, but was up on his feet within seconds.

"HAKU!" he shouted.

"Itachi?" the teen in question turned to see Team Seven and Koyuki staring at him.

"Did you find Terra?" Naruto asked. Itachi closed his eyes and turned his head away. Sakura's gasp made it obvious that his motions had spoken louder than anything he could have said.

"Damnit!" Naruto growled, punching the wall. Kakashi began to speak, only for a loud grinding sound to make its way out of the collapsed end of the tunnel. All of the ninja sank into defensive stances, Itachi and Sasuke both ready to begin hand signs for their family's signature jutsu. However, the slabs of ice parted to reveal what at first appeared to be a walking ice sculpture. It quickly was realized to be Haku, covered head to toe in ice, and holding Terra's body.

"Haku?" Sakura ventured, and the ice-user looked up sharply, his whole face still covered in ice, but his eyes now open and glowing white. Sakura, Naruto, and Koyuki all gasped in surprise.

"Itachi, take them back to the others. I don't think it would be a good idea to allow Haku to continue fighting." Kakashi murmured. Itachi nodded absently, and slowly moved forward. Haku's eyes flicked to him, but the cryomancer didn't react otherwise, even when the others took off.

"Do you recognize me?" Itachi asked quietly. Haku nodded slowly, but tightened his grip on Terra. Gradually, Itachi led the ice-user away from the fortress and back to the trucks that the rest of the cast and crew were waiting with Sandayu and his platoon.

{[\|/]}

Itachi slipped into the truck where Haku was, cradling a mug of hot chocolate. The cryomancer was still staring out at nothing, but he'd managed to reign in some of his grief, at least to the point that he wasn't freezing everything surrounding him.

"Kakashi sent a message." Itachi murmured, "He says that Dotō has been dealt with, and Koyuki is in the process of being reinstated on the throne. We should be leaving for Konoha by tomorrow." Haku showed no signs of hearing, but his fingers flexed around the mug. Itachi sighed silently, glancing at the bench seat beyond Haku. Terra's body lay there, limbs straightened, hair washed and brushed, and clothes changed for a spare robe that had been offered by one of the crew members. If not for the unnatural stillness, it could have been assumed that the pyromancer was simply asleep.

"Terra…why?" Haku whispered for the hundredth time since Terra had been found. Itachi hesitated, he wasn't sure what he should do in a situation like this. He would have almost preferred if Haku was female, then the confusion would at least be well founded. Girls were always confusing, guys were usually more straightforward. However, comforting a guy differed from comforting a girl. Some were less than okay with public physical displays of emotions, while others weren't as vehemently defensive, still others didn't care either way. Even further, Itachi had no idea until now that Haku had really seen him in the circle of friends that he and Terra had. The ice-user had told him so, but it wasn't until now that it was obvious. The cryomancer had enough of his wits about him to know when it was just Itachi, or when a cast or crew member entered. Haku would occasionally break down in front of his teammate, but never seemed to be anything other than an ice sculpture in front of others.

Hesitantly, Itachi rested a hand on his teammate's shoulder. He was surprised when Haku turned to him and threw his arms around Itachi's middle. The ice-user buried his face in Itachi's side and sobbed. Slowly, Itachi got over his shock and inched down so he could sit. He ran his hand over the younger shinobi's hair, like he used to do for Sasuke when his brother was younger and constantly banging his knees on things. After twenty minutes, Haku finally passed into unconsciousness. Itachi gently laid the teen down, and stood.

'_From the looks of things, I'm going to be the one to tell Tenten.'_ The Uchiha thought as he left the truck.

* * *

Oh noes! Terra! *dodges knives and other sharp objects thrown at person* Yikes! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I'll wait for the edge to blunt some...

I'm soooo tired. I got a job as a babysitter this summer, and I'm exhausted. Not to mention I'm trying to start up my own business and write a book at the same time…*sigh* soooo tired. Again, I'm really sorry about this past week. I didn't realize when my sister 'kidnapped' me for a week, that her internet was down…then again, i was only half conscious at the time.


	6. Chapter 6

So…this is it. This is the last chapter of When All Lights Go Out. Conclusions, answers, and more questions raised. The epilogue is in the making, and I'll try and post it soon. I hope you enjoyed this and will stick around for more stories.

* * *

Chapter 5: Dying Flame

* * *

Tsunade sighed, turning her chair so she looked out over the village. She felt her heart twist as the news played over again in her head. Terra Uchiha, dead. He had possessed so much potential, but now it would never be recognized.

"This…is terrible news." Tsunade murmured, then stood and turned to survey the team before her. Team Seven, as well as Itachi, stood there. Itachi had changed into a thick hooded cloak and his mask, which was made similar to Terra and Haku's except that the swirl over the lower half was dark green. This was his typical attire when he traversed the village, to keep civilians and the spy's within the village from realizing that Itachi Uchiha was back among the Leaf Shinobi. He also wore a skin mask underneath the face mask, which changed his features to a less recognizable person. Itachi's official file as a member of Team Twelve was under the name Kuroten Hamu, and the picture was of him with the skin mask.

"Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi asked. The blonde Hokage shook her head.

"Terra was a wonderful shinobi, and his abilities and personality will be missed. What's more, Haku is now out of commission. Until someone can snap him out of it, he will have to stay in the hospital so we can watch over him." Tsunade's eyes drifted over Itachi, "Also, someone should inform Tenten."

"I will take care of it." Itachi said quietly, "It would be best, as I am his remaining teammate."

"Itachi." Sasuke murmured, glancing at his brother. All of them were a bit subdued. Terra had been able to both physically and metaphysically light up a room, even more so then Naruto sometimes. His absence was like a sharp knife in the side.

"Alright, if that is all, dismissed." Tsunade said. The five shinobi filed out of the room, and Itachi immediately took off towards the hospital.

{[\|/]}

Itachi forced the window open, only to be met with a wall of frigid air. He shuddered and attempted to see into the room. Not only did he know it was Haku's, but it was kind of difficult to miss, what with ice covering it and all. Itachi knew that Haku was finding it difficult to get over Terra's death, more than Sasuke or himself were, as he had known the fire-user much better and for much longer. However, this was getting a bit ridiculous. The room was literally coated with ice. Haku blinked slowly, staring absently at Itachi. After a moment, the Uchiha knew that his teammate wasn't actually seeing him, especially when the ice began to creep over the opening the window had left. Itachi sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get through to Haku today, and dropped from the window sill. He landed on a nearby building, then turned and headed towards the training fields. Itachi was _not_ looking forward to this next confrontation.

{[\|/]}

There was nothing. No sounds, not even a whisper of a breeze. Brown eyes were frozen, wide and quivering. Mouth slightly open, half in surprise, half to voice a denial.

"Tenten?" all the sound came rushing back, all the feelings, all the pain. Tenten collapsed to the ground, eyes quickly watering, then she blinked and the tears came pouring from her eyes.

"No." she murmured, and Lee leaned slightly closer, Neji having kneeled down and put a hand on her shoulder when she fell, "No. It's not true. It's a lie! NO!" the konoichi shouted as she looked up, eyes already reddening. Itachi bowed his head, looking away slightly. Tenten wailed, curling up and clutching at her shoulders as she dissolved into hysterics.

"I'm sorry." Itachi murmured.

"Terra, no." Tenten gasped, "I never…I never told him…" she collapsed against Neji and Lee, both of which lent there support to their teammate. Terra had been right when he made the guess that the were like siblings, and Tenten's teammates were just as supportive of her as if they were related by blood. After several uncomfortable minutes, Neji looked up and stared at Itachi.

"How did it happen?" he asked. Itachi took a breath, then slowly sat down. Over the course of an hour and a half, he detailed the events of their mission, as well as how the final fight between Naruto and Dotō had gone. Tenten continued to cry, especially when Itachi got to the part where he and Haku had been searching the dungeons for Terra, only to find his body instead. It wasn't like how some people liked to gloss over the uglier points of fighting and bloodshed, it was the cold truth, in more ways than one, and it was painful to hear. After two hours with the team, Itachi left and made his way back towards town.

{[\|/]}

There was a click, and the door handle turned, opening into the dark room. A pale hand reached in and flipped the switch, washing the place with light. Itachi slipped into the apartment and closed the door, leaning back on it and sighing. It had been a long day, and it was going to be a long week from the looks of it. Tsunade had spoken of having Terra's funeral in three days, Friday. Itachi knew that it wasn't going to be easy, if it was even possible, to get Haku to come. It might help give him some closure, but at this point, it was more likely to cause greater psychological distress.

Itachi groaned quietly and fell onto the couch, covering his eyes with a hand. He'd thought he had finally found a place where he could discover who exactly he was under all the masks he'd worn for so long he'd forgotten they weren't truly a part of him. However, it had all been ripped away…again. True, he had Sasuke, which was a large improvement over the previous arrangement, but still. Terra was going to leave a big hole in everyone's lives. Sitting up, Itachi glanced at the picture that they'd had taken before their first official mission as Team Twelve, shortly after they'd all been released from the hospital and Terra had finally been cleared fully. He and Haku were standing stoically before the camera, while Terra looked like he'd jumped in from above at the last minute, flashing victory signs at the camera. If the cameraman had snapped the picture a second later, he would have gotten an image of Haku and Itachi's surprised expressions as Terra fell on them. It was an accurate representation, to say the least. Terra had been similar to an older, more world weary Naruto, not to mention serious at times. Terra's personality had been one heavily doused in sarcasm, and it showed about ninety percent of the time.

Slowly, Itachi rose and made his way to the bathroom. All he wanted right now was a shower and bed. This mission had been a disaster from start to finish, and it made Itachi tired just thinking about it. He didn't want to think of the report he'd have to write. With Haku comatose, the explanation would fall to Itachi instead. He froze just before the hallway, his eyes catching a flash of reflected moonlight. Terra's sword and Chunin vest, which had been recovered from Dotō's castle before it totally collapsed, had been delivered to the apartment, deposited on the chair beside the couch. It took a lot of energy for Itachi to blink and look away, forcing the welling emotions that tried to overwhelm him at seeing his cousin's things.

{[\|/]}

Haku slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with darkness. He glanced left, then right, then forward. The cryomancer gasped as the image before him registered in his mind. He was watching the memory of the day when his father had attacked. Haku cried out as his mother was slain, falling heavily to the ground. His child self backed up, tripping over one of the baskets as his father came closer. The ice-user closed his eyes, waiting for the moment when his father's friend had stepped in. However, nothing was said. Haku opened his eyes just in time to see his younger self curl in on himself and unleash several large spikes of ice. They expanded outwards, skewering people and objects alike. After a few minutes, the sobbing child managed to dig himself out of the house and stumble out into the snow.

'_What is this?'_ Haku thought, _'A dream? Or, an alternate series of events.'_ The cryomancer watched as his child self struggled to survive in the desolate area that had been his hometown, the events speeding forward as if someone had hit the fast-forward button on the replay, Zabuza finding him, training, learning, growing stronger. The years flashed past in multihued blurs. The attempted coup d'état, the years of hiding, Gato's job offer. The scenes slowed upon arriving at the fight on the bridge. Haku fought Naruto and Sasuke, putting the latter into a death-like state that triggered Naruto to go into the semi-possessed state. The other Haku spoke for a while to the blonde shinobi, then Kakashi charged his Chidori. A cold feeling settled into the watching Haku's stomach. Without Terra there, Haku was the only one to step in the path of the lightning jutsu, as he had attempted to do originally. He was either going to succeed, or not arrive quickly enough. Another second revealed the former was the answer. Kakashi's jutsu slammed into the other Haku's chest, almost instantly killing him. The scene faded, leaving only darkness again. Haku shivered, a rare occurrence in and of itself, and clutched his upper arms.

'_If I never went to the Catacombs…what became of Terra?' _another seen began to form, and Haku's eyes widened as they looked upon Itachi and an older Sasuke. They were facing each other in a fairly dilapidated seeming room, Itachi reclining in the throne-like chair and Sasuke was wearing a dark cloak. Haku was horrified to find in the next few moments that they began fighting. Not ever having a sibling, Terra had been the closest he'd ever had, the ice-user was appalled with Sasuke's attitude before the stint in the Catacombs with Team Seven and Itachi. To want to kill one's own sibling was terrible, no matter what they'd done. In this, alternate timeline or whatever it was, Sasuke was going through with his plan. Itachi seemed slower too, as if he was injured or something else. He didn't appear to be holding back, more like…Haku gasped as he remembered the illness that Tsunade had found in Itachi upon returning from the Catacombs. If he'd never gotten it treated, then it was quite possible that _this_ Itachi was dying from it. The brothers displayed a series of amazing skills, Sasuke pulling on jutsu that hadn't been taught to him yet, and a 'new' skill with a blade. Haku stared as the fight began to wrap up, and exhausted Sasuke being backed into a corner by a weak and dying Itachi. It ended, rather anticlimactically, though not emotionally, with Itachi whispering a few words to Sasuke, tapping his forehead, and passing quietly into death. Haku stared, then closed his eyes and shook his head. It was a strange and silly thing in his eyes, but he knew what had transpired here. Itachi had spoken of his previous plans for Sasuke during the weeks they'd stayed in the hospital, recovering from their stay in the Land of Water.

'_Poor Itachi…he would have never gotten to explain personally to Sasuke. It's better the way it turned out…at least for him…'_ The cryomancer jumped as a new scene unfolded around him, and he nearly cried out at the sight. Even so, it had taken him a moment to recognize what he was looking at. It was the cell, the one that Terra had originally been held in. There were faint white lines carved into the back corner, most likely by a small stone. They ranged from stick figures fighting to pictures of various torture instruments. A figure was sprawled on the floor, arms and legs like winter-worn branches, and hair reaching their waist in a matted mass of tangles. What would have once been a off-white tunic and pants were now dark brown rags that hung in tattered strips off the too thin frame. Terra, as his 'other' eighteen year old self, looked like he was barley one step away from crossing through death's doorway. A jingle of keys announced the guards' approach, and a pair stopped in front of the cell. One opened the door, and the other entered. He nudged at Terra's body with his foot, and the teen rolled over, eyes blank and devoid of life or light.

"Got another one for the lower floors." The guard grumbled, "Not that there's much left of him. Too bad, would have made a good slave if we could have gotten him to behave." The burly man hoisted the body as if it weighed less than a cat's would, and stumped out of the cell. The scene faded again.

'_Terra…oh god.'_ Haku collapsed on the intangible floor, trying to muffle his sobs, _'Even if you would have died, at least we were able to experience some of the world together."_

Outside of Haku's consciousness, another layer of ice coated the room he'd been placed in. A nurse passing by shivered, and quickened her pace, not wanting to possibly get caught by stray strands of ice. Finding a shinobi that could use a fire jutsu with enough finesse not to burn the person trapped, but free them at the same time wasn't easy.

{[\|/]}

_Clang, clang, clang, hiss. _The sounds of metal striking metal, and of the hot steel being dunked in water permeated the shop. Calloused hands pulled the metal from the water, and shoved it back into the coals. Another length of steel was pulled from the furnace by a pair of tongs and laid upon the anvil. Free hand wrapped around the handle of the hammer, the smith brought the thick metal slamming down on the superheated steel. Sparks flew, lighting up some of the darker reaches of the smithy, and reflecting off the goggles protecting the smith's brown eyes.

"Tenten, it's time to stop. We're closing up shop for today." Tenten didn't stop, ignoring her mother in the doorway in favor of slamming her hammer down harder. She cursed, having used too much force and bent the metal out of its desired shape. The weapon's mistress didn't notice her mother leaving, or her father entering. She was placing the hot steel back in the furnace when her father's large hand closed over her smaller one. Tenten looked up, seeing her father shaking his head at her. The brunette bit her lip, trying to hold back the emotions she'd been trying to beat out into her steel. Her father took the steel and deposited it into the furnace, then pulled Tenten's apron off over her head, laying it over the anvil, and then pulled off the goggles that protected her eyes. He hugged his daughter to him, letting her bury her face in his broad chest.

"Let it out…I know you haven't let yourself cry yet." He said. Tenten let out a choked sob, and that broke the floodgates. She collapsed against her father, wailing at the lost opportunities with Terra that had been snatched away from her.

Upstairs, in the flat above the shop, Tenten's mother looked at the photo her daughter had snagged from one of her friends. The other girl had taken a picture of Tenten and Terra at the festival in October. Both teens were laughing, having been talking about something, as the fireworks went off above them. Terra's tear troughs were displaced by his wide grin, and Tenten was leaning heavily on his shoulder as she laughed loudly. Tenten's mother sniffed back a sob for what her daughter had lost, for the young man that had been taken before his time.

{[\|/]}

The village was dark and peaceful. The sun had set several hours ago, but the light was still on in the Hokage's office. It didn't take a genius to guess why. There was always paperwork to be done, and with the repairs still going on, not to mention the recent death, there was sure to still be a large influx. Jiraiya watched from the corner of his eye as Tsunade signed off the last paper from the day's business. The blonde woman shoved the sheet into her outbox and sat back in her chair with a sigh. The only forms left on her desk were the arrangements for Terra's funeral.

"Jiraiya, something doesn't feel right about this." Tsunade said after a time of staring at the papers before her. Jiraiya turned his gaze out over the sleeping village.

"I know. I was thinking the same thing." The toad Sannin murmured, "I hate to say it, but this whole business reeks of a snake." Tsunade stood and moved to join her former teammate at the window.

"You felt it too?" she asked. Jiraiya nodded.

"My network picked up a correspondence between Orochimaru and Dotō. Just two weeks before Team Seven and Team Twelve's departures. I didn't get the information until just yesterday." The white haired man sighed, "Unfortunately, we don't know what that correspondence included."

"We know that snake had an interest in Terra, but we're not sure if it was as a host body, or for his experiments in general." Tsunade growled, biting her thumb, "I hate to do it, but I'm going to hold out for a few more days on giving the okay for Terra's funeral. For all we know, that corpse that Haku and Itachi retrieved is a fake. Without the Sharingan active, there's no way to know for sure, and even then, it can be falsified."

"That won't go over well with his family and team. Especially if we're wrong." Jiraiya replied quietly.

"I know." Tsunade growled, "But I'd rather not have a name carved on the hero's memorial that I don't need to."

{[\|/]}

A candle flame flickered wildly as the door was open, then closed. Gold eyes shifted to view the approaching figure, who bowed just inside of the circle of candlelight. After a moment, the visitor spoke.

"The testing is going well, Lord Orochimaru. The deal made with the ruler of the Land of Snow had turned out to be quite fortuitous." Kabuto Yakushi commented, "The subject's responses are far beyond what we had hoped for." Orochimaru shifted, eyes still locked on his medic.

"I sense that you have more to say, Kabuto." The snake Sannin hissed. Kabuto grimaced, but continued.

"I fear the test results came back with a disturbing factor, something may have made the vessel unable to receive or adapt to another life force. It may not accept your essence should you attempt to transfer to the other body." Orochimaru frowned, but shrugged and sighed, grimacing as the movement made his wounds ache.

"Ah well, I had hoped to gain a more experienced body, but it seems that Sasuke will have to do." He growled as pain echoed through his body, "Have him brought to me! That _boy's_ interference has shifted Sasuke's focus, and he will no longer come to me willingly." Kabuto nodded and snapped his fingers. Four figures appeared, kneeling before the two shinobi.

"You know what to do." Kabuto said coldly. The four disappeared, heading for the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konoha.


End file.
